Here’s how the holidays will affect trash pickup and amnesty week in Kansas City
With Christmas Day and New Year’s Day only a week apart, the area’s trash pickup schedules will look different during the next few days as local municipalities observe the holidays.
Since both Christmas and New Year’s fall on a Monday, trash pickup is delayed by one day in Kansas City. For example, if your scheduled pickup day is Monday, you will not see service until Tuesday.
It is also amnesty week in Kansas City, which means residents can throw out up to 12 trash bags a week without tags as long as each bag weighs less than 40 pounds.
Residents are not allowed to throw hazardous waste, bulky items, leaves or brush during amnesty week, which happens twice a year.
If your trash isn’t picked up or you have a question about trash collection or another city service, you can call 311.
Other areas near Kansas City’s, such as the Northland, have their own trash holiday scheduled. If you don’t live in KCMO, find your area’s trash schedule below:
A reminder that many areas surrounding Kansas City also use private trash collection, so neighbors may have different businesses pick up the trash on different days. You can search your address to see if a holiday will disrupt your trash service on most private collectors’ sites.
WHAT WILL THE CITY PICK UP?
You can put the following items in trash bags, and KCMO’s trash service will pick them up during your scheduled day:
Food waste and packaging. However, some packaging can be recycled
Small appliances, toys and tools. The city recommends that you donate reusable items
Waste associated with normal home maintenance
Small car parts, such as spark plugs, brake shoes and shock absorbers that can be put in bags
Building materials that are bundled with twine or wire. This includes wood and wood products, plaster or wallboard
Boxes of shingles, empty paint cans and small items used when you’re maintaining your home
These items need special care when being picked up:
Pets, humans and other animals’ excrement. You need to double bag this, meaning a bag within a bag.
Sharp items, such as broken glass and needles, need to be labeled and either wrapped in layers of paper or put in a separate container.
Syringes used to inject medical treatments need to be labeled, placed in a hard container and placed in a trash bag.
Liquids. You need to pour out any leftover soft drinks, water and juice down the drain before you place the containers in the trash.
The City won’t pick these items up:
Items over 40 pounds. Those need a bulky item pickup request, and you can fill out that request form here or call 311 or 816-513-1313 to set up a date.
Items longer than 4 feet. Cut it down or set up a bulky item pickup request.
Large amounts of construction debris. You need to call a private contractor to pick that up.
Hazardous liquids and car batteries need to be picked up by setting up an appointment with the city’s Household Hazardous Waste Program. There’s a similar program to use for vehicle tires.
You can take glass to any Ripple Glass Recycling center to recycle.
This story was originally published January 12, 2023 at 7:30 AM.
